| |
Client: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Norwegian state visit
Sector: Government and public affairs |
| |
| Challenge |
| Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
visited Canada from May 6-11, 2002, at the invitation of Governor General
Adrienne Clarkson. The purpose of the state visit was to celebrate the
strong cultural and social ties between Canada and Norway, enhance bilateral
relations between the two countries, and identify new opportunities for
trade co-operation and partnership. Travelling to centres in Ontario, Nova
Scotia and Newfoundland, Their Majesties visited many historic sites, met
with representatives from all levels of Canadian government and participated
in special ceremonies commemorating Canadian-Norwegian cooperation during
the Second World War. |
| |
| Strategy |
| To raise the profile of the Royal Tour, Argyle pursued
broad, positive media coverage in each community on the Royal Tour; maximum
public participation through event attendance; and interview opportunities
for Ingvard Havnen, Norwegian Ambassador to Canada. Corresponding strategies
were designed in support of the objectives to leverage strong, pre-existing
Norwegian-Canadian ties; customize messaging for targeted media; and promote
trade by highlighting Norwegian expertise. |
| |
| Tactics |
| Argyle executed a multi-faceted media relations campaign,
recognizing that each element of the State Visit was significant in its
own right and would require specific media materials for support. Interview
opportunities were identified for Ingvard Havnen, the Norwegian Ambassador
to Canada, in each community that was part of the Royal Tour with the
goal of providing cultural insight for local residents. Media relations
activities – including proactive, personal media outreach – focused
on the unique aspects of each stop on the Royal Tour. In addition to
customized tour itineraries, rare, archival photographs and video footage,
and business seminar presentation notes were also made available to media. |
| |
| Results |
| The Royal Tour achieved broad national and regional
media profile, reaching an estimated audience of 67,784,300 through print,
radio and television in a total of 128 unique outlets. Coverage was secured
in all major daily and community papers in each community on the Royal
Tour, and six prominent interviews with Ambassador Havnen were secured.
Enthusiastic public participation at all events on the Royal Tour resulted
in comments from the King and Queen, the Norwegian Ambassador and local
Canadian officials on how impressed they were with the event attendance.
The true stamp of success for the campaign — a comment from the
press director for the Royal Family, who confirmed that the Norwegian
Royal Tour of Canada received the most media coverage of any Royal Tour
for Their Majesties King Harald V and Queen Sonja to date. For the Norwegian State Visit campaign, Argyle Rowland was awarded the
2003 CPRS Toronto Gold-level ACE Award for Public Affairs/Government
campaign of the year.
|
|
|
|
|
